text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Mar 18, 1997
|Filing date
|Jun 10, 1994
|Priority date
|Jun 10, 1994
|Fee status
|Publication number
|William L. Jacob
|Original Assignee
|Busch Co.
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (17), Non-Patent Citations (3), Referenced by (16), Classifications (8), Legal Events (8)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for supplying treatment gas which provides for positioning of discharge nozzles close to workpieces during apparatus operation while resisting damage to such workpieces. It also provides a cooling, heating, wiping or drying system for various workpieces including coils of material such as metal coils and, more specifically, it relates to such a system which is adapted for high speed, thermally efficient processing of metal strip.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It has long been known that for many purposes a combination of materials may provide an advantageous blend of properties for a given product. Among such combinations are the coating of steel strip with a relatively thin layer of zinc in a galvanizing process.
In respect of continuous galvanizing, a steel coil provides a continuous strip which is immersed in a molten bath of zinc, is passed through a furnace and is subsequently cooled prior to recoiling. Various types of cooling means for such systems have been known. See, generally, Metal Producing, July, 1990, pages 33, 53.
It has been known in the galvanizing art to employ elongated rigid cooling tubes having longitudinal slots therein. Such tubes are positioned relatively close to the strip being cooled, e.g., on the order of about 5 inches. A number of problems have arisen from such constructions. More specifically, the close proximity of the slots to the strip has resulted in inefficient air flow as the spent gas which has already had contact with the strip surface tends to be re-entrained or interfere with efficient flow of the cooling gas from the slots to the strip surface. Also, occasionally either the strip or the slotted tube would be damaged as a result of undesired contact therebetween.
A general disclosure of the use of plates with orifices or jet tubes in heating, cooling, or drying of various industrial products is contained in Jet Impingement Heat Transfer From Jet Tubes in Orifices, National Heat Transfer Conference, 1989, HTD-Vol. 107, pages 43-50. While not specifically directed toward the cooling of metal strip, the concept of multiple jets for impinging air on a plate and exhausting such air is discussed.
My prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,132 discloses a system and an associated method for cooling, heating, wiping or drying strip, such as metal strip. It provides the use of a single unit or a pair of units having a source of gas, a plenum, and a plurality of fixed nozzles which are adapted to direct gas onto a passing strip.
There has been a significant problem in respect of the need to treat coils of materials, such as metal coils, particularly with respect to cooling the same. For metal or steel coils that have been heated during processing, such as in hot rolling, it is not uncommon, particularly during summer months in a warm climate for it to take a coil several days to cool to ambient temperatures. Obviously, an effective means for accelerating cooling of coils could expedite transport of the coil to either further working within the same plant, or shipment to a customer.
There has also been a problem with respect to prior art systems having rigid nozzles, in some instances, coming into undesired contact with the workpiece and risking damage to both, or restricting access and visibility of portions of the system to plant workers.
There remains, therefore, a very real and substantial need for improved cooling, heating, wiping and drying systems for elongated coils of material, such as metal coils. There is a further need for a system which would involve delivery of gas for treatment of any desired type while minimizing the risk of damage to equipment or workpieces by contact between the workpiece and the coils, as well as for means for permitting increased access of floor workers and maintenance people to the system.
The present invention has provided a system for improved treatment of coils as by cooling such metal coils which have been subjected to hot rolling or galvanizing, for example, or by heating, wiping, drying workpieces or other gas treatment. The invention also provides apparatus and an associated method which will provide gas for whatever reason desired through a nozzle which is structurally substantially rigid while providing for automatic partial or total collapse of the nozzle when gas of a desired velocity and pressure is not flowing through the nozzle.
Means are provided for introducing gas, such as air, into the body portion of the gas handling means in order to cause the gas to emerge from one or more sides of the apparatus. The apparatus contributes to efficient thermal transfer at the coil by providing regions adjacent to the projecting nozzles for exhaust of spent gas. These regions, while normally stable, may be made to become unstable by design. In the case of heat transfer, this instability can be used to cause the flexible nozzles to constantly change the point of jet impingement, thereby turbulating the boundary layer and increasing heat transfer. Depending upon the temperature and air velocity the system can be employed to cool, heat, wipe or dry a workpiece.
A number of preferred relationships in respect of the nozzles are provided. A corresponding method is provided.
The apparatus of the present invention includes gas handling means which have a body portion for receipt and discharge of gas. If desired, ductwork for delivery of gas to the gas handling means can be eliminated and ambient air can be introduced through intake portions of the gas handling means. The gas is delivered exteriorly of the equipment through a plurality of flexible nozzles which are generally rigid and open under the influence of flowing gas, but totally or partially collapse after gas flow is withdrawn. To the extent to which the flexible nozzles are horizontally or angularly disposed with respect to the horizontal, they will completely or partially retract after gas flow is withdrawn. To the extent that they project vertically downwardly, there would be no retraction under such gas withdrawal conditions. Reference herein to total or partial collapse or to retraction herein in respect of flexible nozzles shall be interpreted in this manner. This permits the nozzles to automatically function in the desired manner when gas flow is initiated, but upon termination of such gas flow to assume a total or partial non-obstructing position. In a preferred embodiment, the nozzles have an inlet portion which is larger in cross-sectional area than the outlet portion and the outlet portion is of generally conical configuration. The conical shape at the discharge end tends to produce a back-pressure which contributes to desired tube inflation.
The gas handling means may have a plurality of first nozzles disposed in rows with nozzles in adjacent rows staggered with respect to each other emerging from a first side of the gas handling means. In some uses, a similar second army of nozzles emerging from a generally opposite side of said gas handling means is employed to thereby provide gas emerging from two sides of the apparatus.
As a majority of the heat within a metal coil is released through the edges, and the percentage of heat so released can be on the order of 90 percent, applying cooling gas to such edges is an efficient means of effecting such cooling. With the embodiment of the invention wherein gas is discharged from two sides of the gas handling means more than one coil can be cooled at the same time.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a gas treatment system which facilitates efficient, uniform cooling, heating, wiping or drying and rapid withdrawal of the spent gas to avoid thermal contamination of such gas supplied to the workpiece by the projecting nozzle elements.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a system wherein a spent gas receiving region facilitates ready discharge of the gas which has had heat exchanging contact with the coil.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a cooling system which resists undesired contact between the nozzles and the workpiece.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a system which may be provided in a relatively small space.
It is an object of this invention to provide such a system which has high velocity cooling gas flow combined with a low pressure impedance cooling system.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide uniform heat transfer over the end of the coil.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a system which is adapted for use with a large variety of coil sizes and materials.
It is a further object of the invention to provide such a system which employs low volume cooling gas flow for a given rate of heat transfer as compared to the volumetric flow required by systems employing prior art devices.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a system for use in cooling, heating, wiping or drying metal workpieces.
It is a further object of the present invention to employ flexible nozzles will, upon cessation of flow of gas therethrough, assume a retracted position in non-interfering relationship and spaced a greater distance from the workpiece than when the nozzle is extended under the influence of gas flow.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a system for the cooling of metal coils which will greatly accelerate cooling of coils which have been heated during fabrication.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a system which will resist undesired damaging contact between the workpiece and the nozzles.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a system which does not require the use of duct work.
These and other objects of the invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of the invention on reference to the illustrations appended hereto.
FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a form of apparatus of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a left side elevational view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a unit of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of one form of nozzle of the present invention.
FIG. 4a is a detail of the portion of the nozzle of FIG. 4 which is attached to the tube wall.
FIG. 5 is a schematic view partially in cross-section of another form of nozzle of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a schematic view partially in cross-section of the nozzle of FIG. 4 shown in compressed state.
FIG. 7 is a schematic elevational view of a system for cooling two coils simultaneously.
While for simplicity of disclosure herein, emphasis will be placed upon use of the apparatus and method of the present invention in cooling coils, such as steel or aluminum coils, for example, it will be appreciated that the concepts of the invention may be employed advantageously in a number of other environments.
Aluminum coils, which require cooling, are generally no higher in temperature than 750� F. (hot band) and 350� F. (cold band). The desired cooling temperature for slitting is generally between 175� F. and 120� F. A major production bottleneck arises when the hot seasonal temperatures (i.e. 95� F. to 100� F.) arrive and coils cannot be cooled quickly. A coil cooler designed in accordance with the dimensional and arrangement characteristics described herein can be made to satisfy specified coil cooling requirements by providing uniform high heat transfer conditions on the face of the workpiece. The features which allow this coil cooler to achieve rapid cooling are heat transfer uniformity across the workpiece, high heat transfer rate because of jet impingement which produces a thin boundary layer, high heat transfer because of the proximity to the workpiece achievable with the flexible nozzles (and rigid), and the incorporation of a spent turbulent air relief zone which virtually eliminates cross flow problems and thermal contamination of the cooling air supply.
Steel coils typically can have temperatures as low as 240� F. and be required to cool to 140� F. as rapidly as possible before further processing is allowed.
Referring to FIGS. 1 through 3 there is shown a preferred form of the apparatus of the present invention. The gas handling means 2 has a body portion 4 which includes air intake recesses 6 and 8 which have fans which may be of the plug fan type, each energized through motors 14, 16, respectively, so as to draw gas into the body portion 4 in the directions indicated by arrows A and B,
The gas so drawn in is delivered to the nozzles for discharge exteriorly of the gas handling means at the desired volume and velocity. The center of coil (not shown in this view) will be generally at 20. It will be noted that the gas handling means, in the form shown, has a front lower plate edge 22 which is generally parallel to a front upper plate edge 24 and has sidewalls which consist of outwardly diverging portions 26, 28 and inwardly converging portions 30, 32, such that the upper edge 24 is smaller than or equal to lower edge 22. A substantially identical rear plate is provided.
The nozzles are, as shown in FIG. 1, presented in a group of rows with nozzles 40, 42, 44, being in a first row and nozzles 50, 52, 54, 56 being in a second row generally parallel thereto and having one more nozzle. It will be noted that the nozzles of the first row are offset from the nozzles of the second row such that, in the preferred embodiment, the nozzle in an adjacent row is aligned with a mid-point between the pair of nozzles closest in the adjacent row, such as the position of nozzle 40 with respect to nozzles 50 and 52, for example. It will be noted that the nozzles at the ends of each of the rows are spaced generally the same distance from the adjacent sidewalls 26, 28, 30, 32. It will be seen in FIG. 2 that the nozzles 40, 50, 60, 62, 64, 66 are a portion of the nozzles facing in a first direction for discharging gas in that direction and nozzles 70, 72, 74, 76, 78, 80 face in the opposite direction, generally about 180� out of phase for delivering gas in that direction. These nozzles are substantially rigid and may be made of metal.
The nozzles preferably have an internal diameter of about 1 to 6 inches with the particular function influencing the choice of size, for example, for strip cooling or strip heating may have nozzles of about 1 to 2 inch diameter, while coil cooling or strip drying might have a nozzle diameter of about 1 to 3 inches. It is preferred, in general, that the center-to-center spacings of nozzles within a given row be about 4.5 to 30 inches and preferably about 6 to 18 inches. The spacing between rows measuring between lines drawn through the centers of the nozzles in the respective rows is about 4 to 26 inches and 51/8 to 155/8 inch.
With reference to nozzle 66 in FIG. 2, it will be noted that in this embodiment, the nozzle has an inlet portion 80 which is of generally cylindrical shape and an outlet portion 82 which is generally smaller in area than inlet portion 80, but also is of cylindrical shape with the outlet portion having a section 84 which is tapered so as to effect an efficient connection with the inlet portion 80. This embodiment has rigid nozzles.
It will be appreciated that the apparatus involves gas, such as air being taken in through the inlet 6 and 8 being delivered to the nozzles for discharge therefrom onto the desired workpiece. In the preferred embodiment, the nozzle inlet portion 80 will have a diameter of about 2 to 12 inches and preferably about 2 to 6 inches and the nozzle outlet portion 82 will have a diameter of about 1 to 6 inches and preferably 1 to 3 inches. Certain preferred sizes may be employed for particular installations depending upon the nature of the gas treatment, the materials being employed and the temperatures involved.
In the preferred embodiment, the ratio of the distance from the outlet portion 82 to the workpiece and the diameter of the outlet portion 82 is referred to as H/D. The value selected for H/D depends on conditions present in and around the workpiece. Within limits, smaller values for H/D are preferable because they product the most energy efficient configuration. H/D values will generally vary between 5 and 14. The preferred range for H/D is about 6 to 9.
It will be noted that in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 through 3, gas is discharged from a single unit in two directions. This facilitates cooling of two adjacent coils or other workpieces.
Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown a preferred embodiment of the nozzle of the present invention. Unlike prior art nozzles, the present invention contemplates using a flexible nozzle which will be substantially rigid, cantilevered and fully open when gas is flowing therethrough at the desired volume and velocity, but when such gas flow is terminated, will fold downwardly under the influence of gravity. Such action provides the advantages of not only minimizing the desired risk of potentially damaging contact between the workpiece and the nozzles, but also provides increased space for access between the gas treating equipment and other pieces of equipment or workpieces for physical entry by workmen or for visual observation, or both.
As shown in FIG. 4, the nozzle in its inflated position, has a generally cylindrical intake portion 100 and a generally conical outlet portion 102 which terminates in a discharge opening 104. In a preferred embodiment, the diameter of nozzle portion 100 will be about 2 to 6 inches and the diameter of the discharge opening will be about 1 to 3 inches. In the present embodiment, the means for attaching the nozzle 106 to the remainder of the gas handling means involves providing a cylindrical hole 92 in the nozzle supporting tube wall 90.
A resilient snap ring 96, which may be made of steel and have a circumferential extent of 360 degrees, may be adhesively bonded to a felt member which has a base wall 98 and a pair of inwardly projecting folded portions 101, 102 which define an outwardly open recess 108. The felt member 98, 101, 102 is preferably at least as wide as the snap ring 96 and is generally circumferentially coextensive therewith. A free end of the nozzle 106 is folded outwardly and reentrantly forwardly and sewn or otherwise secured to retain circumferential 100 or cuff 107 within which the securing means are provided. In effecting securement of nozzle 106 to female retainer which consists of wall 90 and hole 92, the snap ring is resiliently compressed after which recess 108 is placed in hole 92 adjacent wall 90 such that, upon release, the wall 90 will enter recess 108 to effect securement of the nozzle thereto. In this embodiment, the cylindrical portion 110 has an axial length L and the conical portion has an axial length C.
Referring to FIG. 5, the inlet portion 120, which is generally cylindrical, has an axial extent L' and the conical portion 122 has a length C' which terminates at outlet 126. Length L' is preferably about 1 to 36 inches and length C' is preferably about 5 to 24 inches. In the embodiment of FIG. 5, another form of male securement of the nozzle to the body portion may be provided. The tube wall has a hollow collar 110 secured thereto. The collar 110 is dimensioned to be received within the flexible nozzle. An external clamp 124, which may be of any sort of adjustable mechanically locking clamps, such as a hose clamp, for example, may be employed. The overall length of the nozzles is about 6 to 60 inches.
Referring to FIG. 6, there is shown the nozzle 106 of FIG. 4 when gas is not flowing therethrough. In this view, gas has not been flowing through the nozzle and, as a result, the normal horizontally projecting rigid nozzle, as shown in FIG. 4, has assumed a relaxed or collapsed position. In this manner, it will be appreciated that the distance between collar 110 and whatever workpiece is adjacent has been increased substantially, thereby minimizing the risk of inadvertent contact between a workpiece and the projecting nozzle, and also providing added space for visual inspection and physical entry into the region of the equipment.
Among the suitable materials for use in the collapsible nozzle application are a material selected from the group of woven cloths, spunbonded sheets or sheets consisting of plastics or composites (TEFLON, NOMEX, rip stop nylon, translucent or transparent plastic of the nature used for flat roll plastic tubing, TYVEK tear resistant spunbonded olefin (high density polyethylene), reinforced paper, and natural fibers. Imperviousness may be achieved by backing, such as bonded urethane and the like. High temperature applications may utilize graphitic materials, such as GRAFOIL or fiberglass. In addition, lightweight inflatable designs for high temperature applications may also use layered material with a dedicated cooling medium (air, water, water mist, refrigerant, etc.) flowing between layers. When the flexible nozzle must touch a surface which has a temperature greater than its thermal properties allow, lightweight insulating materials may be attached by various commercial means to thermally exposed areas. When the surrounding thermal or chemical conditions are beyond the resistance capability of the flexible material of construction and coatings are not appropriate, then a permeable material can be used which allows for transpiration cooling and purging of contaminants from the surface of the material. For less collapsible applications where some stiffness is desired, the material selected may be in the heavier weight forms of plastic sheet or needle punched felt into a scrim. The nozzle may be sewn from flat patterns or cast and vulcanized from flexible materials, such as neoprene rubber. In general, the fabric may be relatively thin walled on the order of about 0.001 inch to 0.125 inch and for thinner range about 0.001 to 0.008 inch depending on the material employed. Urethane backed rip stop nylon cloth of approximately 96�96 crossweave and approximately 0.004 inch thick exhibits highly desirable inflatability and flexibility characteristics for a flexible nozzle.
Referring to FIG. 7, there is shown a system of the present invention employed in cooling metal coils. A first coil which, for example, may be aluminum or steel 130 is delivered to the location by an overhead crane 134 and is supported by a suitable coil rack 132. A second coil 138 is supported on a coil rack 140. A first unit of the present invention 144 has a gas intake 146, a fan impeller 148 rotatably driven directly by motor 150 and a plurality of nozzles which may be similar to the army shown in FIGS. 1 through 3, but which have been identified in this drawing as 160, 162, 164, 166, 168, 170. It will be appreciated that these nozzles 160-170 (even numbers only) are merely the end nozzles of the rows of nozzles such as those shown in FIG. 1 and that the apparatus may be of the same configuration as the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, except that it employs a bottom gas intake. As a majority of the heat escaping from a metal coil escapes from the edges, it is desired to effectively blanket the edges with cooling gas at a desired velocity and volume. The gas is preferably directed in the axial direction of said coil and generally uniformly covers substantially the entire edge of the coil. In a preferred embodiment, the distance between the edge of the coil 180 and the end of nozzle 182 will be about 6 and 16 inches with about 6 to 10 inches being preferred. If it were not for the flexible nozzles, the distances between the edge of coil 180 and the end of nozzle 182 would be about 30 inches to facilitate moving the coil, normal inspection operations and maintenance. It will be appreciated that the flexible nozzles of the present invention facilitate a reduction in this distance as the collapse of the nozzles during periods when the gas is not flowing increases the spacing between the equipment and the coil edge.
The apparatus 144 has nozzles projecting from only one side of the body portion. Also, direct air intake from the lower levels of the room where the colder air tends to be is contemplated, but, if desired, ducts could be employed to bring in special gas in terms of temperature, moisture content, or any other parameter desired. It will also be noted that the air intake in equipment 144 faces directly downwardly, whereas that of FIG. 1 faces angularly to each side.
Apparatus 190 similarly has an air intake 192 and fan impeller 194 powered directly by motor 196. It has nozzles such as nozzles 198, 200, for example, and 202, 204, for example, projecting in opposite directions. In this manner, gas treatment equipment 144 and 190 combine to cool coil 130 from both edges in a generally axial direction. Unit 190 also cools coil 138 simultaneously with the cooling air distributed to coil 130.
As shown in figures in the preferred embodiments, the nozzles will be cantilevered and require no external support at the free ends thereof. The nozzles preferably have (a) a supported inlet end and (b) a free end supported solely by other portions of the nozzle or in the case of the flexible nozzles supported in the projecting position by other portions of the nozzle and the gas flowing therethrough.
It will be appreciated to those skilled in the art that various combinations of cooling arrangements or gas treatment arrangements may be provided within the context of the present invention.
It will be appreciated that the nozzles of the present invention are such that due the fabric nature, if adjustment in length is desired or replacement thereof is desired, this may be accomplished rapidly and economically.
The method of the present invention involves providing gas handling means having the characteristics described and illustrated hereinbefore, initiating gas treatment by beginning flow out of the nozzles to cause the nozzles to assume an extended position under the influence of the gas and subsequently causing the nozzles to assume a non-extended position by terminating flow of gas therethrough.
While for simplicity of disclosure herein, reference has been made to coils made of metal, other types of coils, such as plastic coils or other types of workpieces may be treated.
While for purposes of convenience of disclosure herein, emphasis has been placed on the cooling of coils, it will be appreciated that the flexible nozzles of the present invention may have many uses in connection with gas handling involved with heating, cooling, wiping and drying. In addition, other uses will be apparent to those skilled in the art, such as directing fumes emerging from rolling mill lubricant vaporization in desired directions to enhance evacuation, as well as other environmentally desirable approaches. Reference herein to direction of gas stream to a "workpiece" shall be deemed to embrace such usages.
While for purposes of illustration herein, there has been shown nozzles so positioned as to have their longitudinal axis when in gas flow induced extended position is a generally horizontal orientation, it will be appreciated that the nozzle axis when inflated and functioning to deliver gas may be provided with any desired orientation. Also, while some embodiments have been shown with rigid nozzles, such as FIGS. 1-3 and 7 and, others with flexible nozzles, such as FIGS. 4-6, nozzles from one embodiment may be employed with another embodiment, if desired.
It will be appreciated, therefore, that the present invention has provided an efficient apparatus and associated method for supplying treatment gas for a variety of uses. In a preferred practice of the invention, the gas handling means has a body portion associated with a plurality of discharge nozzles which may be directed in one direction, two directions or in more than two directions merely by effecting communication between the gas intake means and nozzle positions in the desired locations with appropriate powered flow creating means such as fans to move the gas. The flexible nozzles not only resist undesired potentially damaging contact between the nozzles and workpieces, but also automatically assume a non-obstructing position when gas flow of the desired velocity and volume is not present.
The use of flexible nozzles further provides flexibility of modification. For example, the nozzle performance may be altered by adjusting the discharge diameter as by clamping, folding, or cutting the nozzle. Similarly, the nozzle length may be varied.
The flexible nozzle may be provided so as to totally collapse and retract when gas supply is withdrawn, such as is shown in FIG. 6, or to only partially collapse depending on the material out of which it is made and the geometry thereof to achieve desired stiffness. Also, nozzle flexibility can be employed to effect a curved flow path for the fluid where direct flow toward the intended target is obstructed.
While for convenience of disclosure herein, reference has been made to either the rigid nozzles or the flexible nozzles having a horizontal orientation, it will be appreciated that depending upon the use, they could have a vertical or other orientation.
Whereas particular embodiments of the invention have been disclosed and described herein for purposes of illustration, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that numerous variations of the details may be made without departing from the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
|Cited Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Dec 22, 1953
|Sep 9, 1958
|Nat Gypsum Co
|Air jet cleaning and nozzle for use therefor
|Sep 18, 1958
|Aug 7, 1962
|Swindell Dressler Corp
|Furnace or like system for gas-supporting and treating flat work
|Feb 18, 1959
|Dec 18, 1962
|Electric Furnace Co
|Forced cooling means and method for continuous strip furnaces
|Apr 3, 1962
|Aug 10, 1965
|Wolverine Equipment Co
|Apparatus for treating continuous length webs comprising high velocity gas jets
|Apr 29, 1963
|Oct 11, 1966
|Republic Steel Corp
|Method and apparatus for coating an elongated article in coil form
|May 3, 1967
|Jun 3, 1969
|James T Candor
|Laundry apparatus or the like
|Sep 20, 1968
|Sep 22, 1970
|Moore Dry Kiln Co
|Method and apparatus for high-speed drying of gypsum board
|Oct 22, 1969
|Jul 13, 1971
|Candor James T
|Method and apparatus for treating sheet-like material and the like
|Jul 23, 1971
|Dec 11, 1973
|Air Ind
|Installations for the treatment, in gaseous medium, of a strip product
|Mar 19, 1982
|Sep 27, 1983
|Daido Tokushuko Kabushiki Kaisha
|Method of conveying strip materials
|Mar 3, 1983
|Mar 19, 1985
|Mannesmann Aktiengesellschaft
|Drying apparatus for metallic belt processed in a fluid
|Oct 17, 1985
|Dec 2, 1986
|Nippon Steel Corporation
|Strip cooling apparatus for continuous annealing furnace
|Jun 3, 1986
|Jun 14, 1988
|Mitsubishi Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
|Apparatus for cooling steel belt
|Oct 22, 1987
|Nov 22, 1988
|Otto Junker Gmbh
|Apparatus for contactless guiding of webs of material, in particular, metal strips, by means of a gas medium
|Apr 26, 1991
|Apr 13, 1993
|Busch Co.
|Strip cooling, heating or drying apparatus and associated method
|Dec 2, 1993
|Apr 25, 1995
|Bass; Lenny
|Wall drying device
|Title not available
|Jet Impingement Heat Transfer From Jet Tubes and Orifices, Nat l. Heat Transfer Conference, 1989, HTD vol. 107, pp. 43 50.
|Jet Impingement Heat Transfer From Jet Tubes and Orifices, Nat'l. Heat Transfer Conference, 1989, HTD-vol. 107, pp. 43-50.
|Metal Producing, Jul., 1990, pp. 33, 53.
|Citing Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|May 3, 1999
|Dec 5, 2000
|Scimed Life Systems, Inc.
|Medical device coating methods and devices
|Oct 10, 2000
|Nov 27, 2001
|Boston Scientific, Inc.
|Medical device coating methods and devices
|Apr 17, 2000
|Apr 9, 2002
|Scimed Life Systems, Inc.
|Coating medical devices using air suspension
|Mar 13, 2001
|Aug 19, 2003
|Scimed Life Systems, Inc.
|Device for protecting medical devices during a coating process
|Mar 1, 2002
|May 4, 2004
|Scimed Life Systems, Inc.
|Mechanical and acoustical suspension coating of medical implants
|Nov 4, 2003
|Aug 5, 2008
|Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc.
|Mechanical and acoustical suspension coating of medical implants
|Nov 30, 2010
|Walker Jr Mark S
|Connector for use with inflatable tubing
|Nov 29, 2010
|Mar 13, 2012
|Walker Jr Mark S
|Connector for use with inflatable tubing
|Oct 23, 2008
|Jun 25, 2013
|Mary A. Walker
|Pressurized drying system
|Mar 1, 2002
|Sep 4, 2003
|Henrik Hansen
|Coating a medical implant using a pan coater
|Nov 4, 2003
|May 13, 2004
|Schwarz Marlene C.
|Mechanical and acoustical suspension coating of medical implants
|Jul 15, 2010
|Jan 27, 2011
|Dyson Technology Limited
|Domestic vacuum cleaning appliance comprising a flexible hose
|Jul 16, 2010
|Jan 27, 2011
|Dyson Technology Limited
|Surface cleaning appliance
|Aug 13, 2010
|Feb 10, 2011
|Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc.
|Coated medical implants
|Nov 29, 2011
|Oct 3, 2013
|Saint-Gobain Glass France
|Nozzle for tempering device
|Sep 9, 2003
|Apr 8, 2004
|Nippon Steel Corporation
|Cooling device for steel strip
|U.S. Classification
|34/395, 34/631, 34/638, 34/62, 427/378
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Oct 28, 1994
Owner name: BUSCH CO. A CORP. OF PENNSYLVANIA, PENNSYLVANIA
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:JACOB, WILLIAM L.;REEL/FRAME:007200/0017
Effective date: 19941017
|Nov 28, 1997
Owner name: CORESTATES BANK, N.A., PENNSYLVANIA
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:NEW BUSCH CO., INC.;REEL/FRAME:008820/0721
Effective date: 19970925
|Aug 23, 2000
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 4
|Jul 27, 2004
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 8
|Jan 20, 2006
Owner name: NEW BUSCH CO., INC., PENNSYLVANIA
Free format text: RELEASE OF COLLATERAL ASSIGNMENT;ASSIGNOR:WACHOVIA BANK, N.A., A NATIONAL BANKING ASSOCIATION AND THE SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CORESTATES BANK, N.A.;REEL/FRAME:017034/0725
Effective date: 20060112
|Feb 3, 2006
Owner name: FIFTH THIRD BANK, FOR ITSELF AND AS AGENT FOR FIFT
Free format text: SECURITY AGREEMENT;ASSIGNOR:NEW BUSCH CO., INC.;REEL/FRAME:017115/0266
Effective date: 20051229
|Sep 17, 2008
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 12
|Aug 27, 2013
Effective date: 20130827
Owner name: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., TEXAS
Free format text: SECURITY AGREEMENT;ASSIGNOR:NEW BUSCH CO., INC.;REEL/FRAME:031095/0959
Effective date: 20130823
Free format text: RELEASE BY SECURED PARTY;ASSIGNOR:FIFTH THIRD BANK;REEL/FRAME:031091/0836
Owner name: NEW BUSCH CO., INC., OHIO


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In this paper, a 4-stage optical time domain multiplexing (OTDM) multiplexer based on plated graded index (GRIN) lens is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. A 10Gbit/s return-to-zero (RZ) signal is upgraded to 160Gbit/s. The time-domain accuracy of the multiplexer is evaluated by analyzing the multiplexed 160Gbit/s signal. Experimental results validate the stability of the optical multiplexing behavior and the polarization insensitivity of the proposed multiplexer. The results also show the advantages of our OTDM multiplexer such as the flexible output signal speeds at the output of different stages, the low insertion loss and the temperature and wavelength stability.
© 2008 Optical Society of America
1. Introduction
Optical time domain multiplexing (OTDM) multiplexers are very useful passive devices in optical networks. Particularly, the OTDM multiplexer is often used for upgrading the bitrate at single channel and thus it is convenient to generate ultrafast signals with only low speed optical sources. Nowadays, OTDM technique also plays an important role in all-optical information processing and conflict resolution [1,2]. Novel high speed OTDM schemes and multiplexers have been studied during recent years [3–6].
Conventional OTDM multiplexer is based on fused fiber coupler and its performance is usually degraded due to polarization fluctuation of the input signal, which will rapidly change the distribution of output power among adjacent multiplexed pulses [7–10]. The polarization sensitivity can be weakened by controlling the cross section of fused coupler precisely [11] or employing the half-wave plate in the directional coupler [12]. Besides, the perturbations of the optical wavelength, the operating temperature, and the fiber stress will also reduce the accuracy of conventional OTDM multiplexer.
Recently reported OTDM multiplexers can provide qualified and stable OTDM signals but is not widely used in practice because of their high cost. In addition, most of these OTDM multiplexers exhibit polarization dependence. Therefore, polarization-maintaining configuration [6] or integrated polarization controllers [13] are used to stabilize the output power in different channels of the multiplexer.
In this paper, we propose and demonstrate a novel 4-stage polarization-independent OTDM multiplexer based on plated GRIN lens. We illustrate the structure of cascaded GRIN lenses which work as one stage of multiplexer. Then we set up an experimental OTDM signal generating system to multiplex a 10Gbit/s RZ signal up to 160Gbit/s. By evaluating the time-domain information of the multiplexed 160Gbit/s signal, we complete the manufacture of the 4-stage multiplexer. A polarization scrambler is employed to vary the polarization state of the input signal and the polarization characteristic of our proposed OTDM multiplexer is researched. The results show that, because of the plated GRIN lenses structure the multiplexer possesses an excellent performance even in the presence of polarization fluctuation. The OTDM multiplexer also has the advantages such as the flexible output signal speeds at the output of different stages, the low insertion loss and cost, and the outstanding temperature and wavelength stability.
2. Structure and principle
The fundamental element of the proposed OTDM multiplexer is plated GRIN lens, which consists of two reverse-connected GRIN lenses coupled with three fiber pigtails and performs the same function as fused fiber coupler. A very thin Half-Reflection-Half-Transmittance (HRHT) mirror is plated between two lenses. The input optical signal at Port 1 will be divided at the HRHT mirror into two equal parts, destined for Ports 2 and 3, respectively.
Fig. 1.
The refractive index profile of the GRIN lens is
where n 0 is the refractive indexes at optical axis, r is the radius of the GRIN lens. Based on the paraxial approximation, the transfer matrix of two reverse-connected GRIN lenses is expressed as [14]
where L 1, L 2 are the lengths of the two GRIN lenses, θ 0 is the incident angle at Port 1 and θ 2 is refraction angle at Port 3, x 0 and x 2 are vertical coordinates of the incident and refractive points, A 1 and A 2 are the distributed constants of the refractive index, n 01 and n 02 are the refractive indexes at optical axis in the two lenses.
The GRIN lenses here are of the same parameters, namely A 1=A 2, n 01=n 02 and L 1=L 2=p/4, where p is the characteristic pitch of the lens. The light ray propagates one pitch during one cycle of the sinusoidal wave and p=2πA -1/2. Then we get
Equation (4) proves that the optical paths between Ports 1 and 3 are point symmetric. Because of the axis symmetry between Port 1 and 2, the optical paths between Ports 2 and 3 are also axis symmetric. Then the output signals at Ports 2 and 3 will be the same. According to the reversibility of optical path, the two input optical signals at Ports 2 and 3 will be coupled and outputted at Port 1.
Optical interference occurs at the coupling point of the OTDM multiplexer and the influence of the input polarization fluctuation is equivalent to that of the interference effect [15]. Due to the incident angle of the input light at the surface of the lens, in fact there is not only one optical path as shown in Fig. 1. The input light will radiate and then focus at the HRHT mirror in different optical paths. When reaching at the HRHT mirror, the input optical signal can be treated as many point light sources. The influence of polarization fluctuation is weakened by the interactions of these point light sources. So our proposed OTDM multiplexer based on GRIN lens exhibits much lower polarization dependence.
Two plated GRIN lenses aforementioned are needed to compose one stage of our proposed OTDM multiplexer, as illustrated in Fig. 2. Ports 3 and 3′ are coupled directly and a fiber delay line is added between Ports 2 and 2′. Then the signal at Port 1 is doubled and outputted at Port 1′. Our 4-stage multiplexer consists of 4 pairs of such cascaded lenses. The delay times in each stage are 50ps, 25ps, 12.5ps and 6.25ps, respectively. The insertion loss of each stage is about 4dB and thus the total insertion loss of the 4-stage multiplexer is about 16dB.
Fig. 2.
3. Experimental demonstration
Figure 3 shows the experimental setup of the 160Gbit/s (10Gibt/s×16) OTDM signal generating system. The laser generates a 10GHz pulse train at 1546nm. The power of the pulse train is -2.40dBm and the pulse width is 1.807ps. Then the pulse train is modulated by a 10Gbit/s return-to-zero (RZ) 231-1 pseudo-random binary sequence (PRBS). The multiplexed 80Gbit/s signal at the third stage of the multiplexer is observed by an oscilloscope as shown in Fig. 4. Because of the limitation of the oscilloscope's bandwidth, an autocorrelator is used to observe the 160Gbit/s signal at the fourth stage of the multiplexer and the results is shown in Fig. 5. The powers of the signal at the input and output of the 4-stage OTDM multiplexer are 15.6dBm and -0.4dBm, respectively.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 5.
However, we can still use the oscilloscope to measure the time-domain accuracy at the fourth stage of the multiplexer. We add a large attenuation to two arms (2–2′ and 3–3′) of the fourth stage respectively and use the markers of the oscilloscope to locate two adjacent pulses of the 160GHz pulse train. In other words, we can analyze the waveform of the 160GHz pulse train by measuring two 80GHz pulse trains in the two arms of the fourth stage respectively. According to Fig. 6, the time interval between the two adjacent pulses is 6.243ps. Compared to the ideal value 6.25ps, the absolute error is 0.007ps.
Fig. 6.
The polarization insensitivity of our proposed OTDM multiplexer is also demonstrated in the experimental OTDM signal generating system. First, our proposed multiplexer is replaced by a conventional OTDM multiplexer based on the fused optical coupler and a polarization scrambler is employed before the multiplexer to vary the polarization state of the input 10GHz pulse train. When the polarization scrambler is working, the output multiplexed pulse train is degraded badly as shown in Fig. 7. Then, the conventional multiplexer is removed and our proposed OTDM multiplexer is employed after the polarization scrambler. The eye diagram of the output 80Gbit/s signal is shown in Fig. 8. The polarization fluctuation is minimized by the cascaded GRIN lenses. So there is not obvious influence on the output 80Gbit/s signal of our proposed multiplexer when the polarization scrambler is working. The variation of the signal amplitude is because of the insertion loss of the polarization scrambler.
Fig. 7.
Fig. 8.
4. Conclusions
We proposed and experimentally demonstrated a 4-stage OTDM multiplexer based on plated GRIN lens. A 160Gbit/s (10Gbit/s×16) OTDM signal generating experiment was conducted. We also employed a polarization scrambler to vary the polarization state of the input 10Gbit/s signal. The result showed that the multiplexer still had an excellent performance in the presence of polarization fluctuation. The OTDM multiplexer also had the advantages such as the flexible output signal speeds at the output of different stages, the low insertion loss and cost, and the outstanding temperature and wavelength stability.
This study is supported by National Natural Science Foundation project (No.60507007), Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University (NCET-06-0094), '863' High Technology Research and Development Program (No.2007AA01Z243), Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University (PCSIRT, No.IRT0609) and the 111 Project (No. B07005).
References and links
1. A. Chen, C.-T. Lea, and A. K.-S. Wong, "A new optical TDM Ring Architecture," IEEE Trans. Commun. 55, 2134–2141 (2007). [CrossRef]
2. K. M. Feng, C. Y. Wu, D. H. Hsueh, C. S. Ku, C. P. Chang, H. Y. Lin, J. Cheng, and J. Chen, "Demonstration of an optical FIFO multiplexer," in Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exposition and National Fiber Optic Engineers Conference, Technical Digest (CD) (Optical Society of America, 2008), paper OMN5. http://www.opticsinfobase.org/abstract.cfm?URI=OFC-2008-OMN5
3. B. Zhang, L. Zhang, L. S. Yan, I. Fazal, J. Y. Yang, and A. E. Willner, "Continuously-tunable, bit-rate variable OTDM using broadband SBS slow-light delay line," Opt. Express 15, 8317–8322 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
4. N. Deng, C. K. Chan, and L. K. Chen, "A Hybrid OTDM Scheme with enhanced demultiplexing performance," IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. 19, 1454–1456 (2007). [CrossRef]
5. H. Murai, M. Kagawa, H. Tsuji, and K. Fujii, "EA-modulator-based optical time division multiplexing/demultiplexing techniques for 160-Gb/s optical signal transmission," IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 13, 70–78 (2007). [CrossRef]
6. T. Ohara, H. Takara, I. Shake, T. Yamada, M. Ishii, I. Ogawa, M. Okamoto, and S. Kawanishi, "Highly stable 160-Gb/s OTDM technologies based on integrated MUX/DEMUX and drift-free PLL-type clock recovery," IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 13, 40–48 (2007). [CrossRef]
7. K. Morishita and K. Takashina, "Polarization properties of fused fiber couplers and polarizing beamsplitters," J. Lightwave Technol. 9, 1503–1507 (1991). [CrossRef]
8. Z. Jing, L. Cai, and T. Li, "Experimental demonstration on 4×10Gb/s optical time domain multiplexing signal," J. Photon Technol. 8, 18–21 (2005).
9. Z. Jing, L. Cai, and T. Li, "Experimental investigation in polarization sensitivity of a novel 40-Gbit/s OTDM system," Proc. SPIE 6019, 1–7 (2005).
10. L. Cai, Z. Jing, and T. Li, "Function of polarization scrambler in 4×10Gb/s optical time division multiplexing signal generating system," J. Opt. Commun. Technol. 29, 32–33 (2005).
11. S. G. Farwell, M. N. Zervas, and R. I. Laming, "2×2 fused fiber null couplers with asymmetric waist cross sections for polarization independent (<0.01dB) switching," J. Lightwave Technol. 16, 1671–1680 (2006). [CrossRef]
12. C. R. Doerr, L. L. Buhl, and W. Lin, "Simple method for mitigation of polarization crosstalk in silica planar lightwave circuit directional couplers," IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. 18, 1816–1818 (2006). [CrossRef]
13. Andreas Umbach, "4-stage OTDM multiplexer," http://www.u2t.de/fileadmin/redakteure/Products/Datasheets/DS_OMUX-4_5v0.pdf.
14. C. Kehua, "Propagation analysis of light rays in combinative optical system of SaFoc lens," Acta Photonica Sin. 21, 323–329 (1992).
15. M. Born and E. Wolf, Principles of Optics (Pergamon, 1986).


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Commentaryby Commentary Inc.
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Commentary consistently takes on hard issues, like the Middle East, Israel, the economy, the war on/b>/b>/b>
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Fedora Starts Cloud Working GroupJan 22, 2010
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text: Shadow has one goal in mind; create top of the line fly fishing gear and charge the customer a reasonable price. With Shadow products you are getting the highest quality materials, original designs, and extreme durability. Whether you are looking for a world class fly reel, the lightest fly rods, or an entire outfit; Shadow will meet your needs and surpass your expectations. Each of our products has a 100% original design created in Pennsylvania and strategically manufactured all over the world to bring you the highest performing products at a price that makes sense. Each of our products are vigorously tested in extreme conditions before being brought to market. From icy temperatures to blistering heat, saltwater to freshwater, rivers, and oceans, Shadow products are guaranteed to stand up to your longest days and biggest catches on the water. Used world wide Shadow products are made for hardcore fisherman, because that is who we are.


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NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB Reference Video Card Review
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3DMark 11 is the latest version of the world's most popular benchmark. Designed to measure your PC's gaming performance 3DMark 11 makes extensive use of all the new features in DirectX 11 including tessellation, compute shaders and multi-threading. Trusted by gamers worldwide to give accurate and unbiased results, 3DMark 11 is the best way to consistently and reliably test DirectX 11 under game-like loads.
Starting off with 3DMark 11, the numbers are extremely impressive. While you can see the only single GPU setup that is able to come out ahead of the GTX 780 Ti 3GB at the Performance preset is the R9 290X, you can see when it comes to the Extreme preset, it manages to get a strong jump on the competition.
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Project Akilah Inc
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Amani Africa works with more than 5,000 street children and orphans in Rwanda and Burudni. The UN estimates that there are over 2.5 million orphans in Rwanda. Amani provides educational opportunities to these children, while promoting reconciliation through sports teams, art, and workshops for teenagers.
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| Double Trouble with Dialga and Palkia IV/VS. Dialga and Palkia IV
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| Rounds
Double Trouble with Dialga and Palkia IV/VS. Dialga and Palkia IV (Japanese: VS ディアルガ パルキア IV VS. Dialga Palkia IV) is the 414th round of the Diamond & Pearl chapter in the Pokémon Adventures manga.
| This plot summary is incomplete.
Please feel free to edit this plot summary to add missing sections and complete it.
Major events
- Diamond and Pearl continue battling Dialga and Palkia but are attacked by Cyrus.
- Sird reveals how she petrified Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, and Silver.
- Sird is revealed to own a Darkrai, the same Pokémon she used to petrify the Kanto Pokédex holders and Silver.
- Riley attacks the Galactic Commanders.
Pokémon debuts
- Red (flashback)
- Blue (flashback)
- Green (flashback)
- Yellow (flashback)
- Silver (flashback)
- Diamond
- Pearl
- Platinum
- Giovanni (flashback)
- Cynthia
- Cyrus
- Sird
- Carr (flashback)
- Orm (flashback)
- Saturn
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- Guile Hideout (flashback)
- Riley
- Advanced level Grunt (flashback)
- Torterra (Tru; Diamond's)
- Bastiodon (Don; Diamond's)
- Lickilicky (Kit; Diamond's)
- Mamoswine (Moo; Diamond's)
- Chatot (Chatler; Pearl's)
- Luxray (Rayler; Pearl's)
- Tauros (Tauler; Pearl's)
- Garchomp (Cynthia's)
- Persian (Sird's)
- Banette (Sird's)
- Starmie (Sird's)
- Darkrai (Sird's; flashback)
- Lucario (Riley's)
- Mewtwo (Adventures; flashback)
- Deoxys (Organism No. 2; flashback)
- Clefairy (fantasy)
- Staryu (fantasy)
- Solrock (fantasy)
- Lunatone (fantasy)
- Cleffa (fantasy)
- Dialga
- Palkia
|This article is part of Project Manga, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each series of Pokémon manga.


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13 items from 2004
30 December 2004 | The Hollywood Reporter | See recent The Hollywood Reporter news »
Although still fond of oddballs and eccentrics, Wes Anderson moves past the merely quirky in "The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou," his wonderfully weird and wistful adventure-comedy about a fish-out-of-water oceanographer. Following his Oscar-nominated turn in "Lost in Translation", Bill Murray brings his singularly edgy ennui to the unlikely role of a modern-day Ahab.
The writer-director's most recent film, "The Royal Tenenbaums", was a museum collection of character types that never coalesced into an affecting story. Here, sharing scripting duties with Noah Baumbach, Anderson still struggles to fuse character observation with feeling, and most of the proceedings unfold at an emotional distance. But, in the helmer's most expansive project yet, the cast's commitment and the inventive milieu, rendered with enormous care, keep the story well afloat. Given Murray's heightened boxoffice profile and Anderson's loyal following, "Aquatic", which goes wide Christmas Day after its New York/L.A. bow Friday, should reel in high midrange receipts.
Steve Zissou (Murray) is a 52-year-old American version of Jacques Cousteau but without the joie de vivre. He moves with a weary stiffness, and when a child presents him with a brightly striped seahorse -- the first of the film's many fantastic creatures -- he glances impassively at it. Later, he flicks a Day-Glo yellow lizard off his wrist with cavalier spite.
Steve's empire of all things Zissou has been in decline for a decade, and he's having trouble securing financing for Part 2 of his latest documentary. The object is revenge: He intends to hunt down the mysterious jaguar shark that devoured his lead diver and best friend (Seymour Cassel) before his eyes in Part 1.
As in "Tenenbaums", Anderson's focus is a reluctant father figure, and a familial story soon supplants the obsessive Moby-Dick angle. Just before the Belafonte, Zissou's converted World War II submarine hunter, heads out to sea, a young man named Ned Plimpton (Owen Wilson), genteel to the point of quaintness, introduces himself as Steve's possible son from a long-ago liaison. Responding to the admiration in Ned's eyes -- and sensing a "relationship subplot" for the documentary -- Steve invites him to join Team Zissou's expedition. Ned proves smarter than his mellow exterior would suggest, and soon he's bailing out the strapped production and provoking the jealousy of devoted engineer Klaus (Willem Dafoe, delivering a comic and touching performance).
Also on board is an at-loose-ends pregnant British journalist (a disappointingly wan Cate Blanchett) and the bond company rep, a milquetoast who turns out to be a mensch (Bud Cort, terrific). Staying behind is Steve's wife, Eleanor (a regal Anjelica Huston), who objects to the mission. Although their marriage is running on fumes, it's a blow to Steve; she's the brains of the operation. Twisting the knife, she opts for R&R at the tropical estate of her ex, Hennessey (Jeff Goldblum, an effective nemesis), a glamour-boy oceanographer whose state-of-the-art sea lab casts Zissou in the dated shadows.
Highlighting the story's melancholy are musical interludes by actor-musician Seu Jorge ("City of God"), playing a guitar-strumming member of the crew who sings David Bowie songs in Portuguese. "Ziggy Stardust" in the language of fado is a strange and beautiful thing, encapsulating the dislocation, sadness and wonder that define the film's watery world.
Anderson's deep affection for his "pack of strays" is clear, and the final moments of the film are truly moving. But much of the time the characters' specific emotions play out at a remove, filtered through ironic humor and high-seas danger. Murray convincingly conveys an existential ache, but Steve's paternal pangs lack the intended impact, and -- Wilson's fine performance notwithstanding -- Ned is more device than character.
Eschewing digital effects for hand-crafted whimsy, the film uses stop-motion animation by Henry Selick ("The Nightmare Before Christmas") for such delightful creations as candy-colored sugar crabs and rhinestone bluefins. Robert Yeoman's fluid camerawork captures the expressive production design of Mark Friedberg, especially the Belafonte's faded glory. The handsome, Italy-shot production also benefits from Milena Canonero's slightly cartoony, character-defining costumes and Mark Mothersbaugh's jaunty score.
Buena Vista Pictures
Touchstone Pictures presents an American Empirical picture
Director: Wes Anderson
Screenwriters: Wes Anderson, Noah Baumbach
Producers: Wes Anderson, Barry Mendel, Scott Rudin
Executive producer: Rudd Simmons
Director of photography: Robert Yeoman
Production designer: Mark Friedberg
Music: Mark Mothersbaugh
Co-producer: Enzo Sisti
Costume designer: Milena Canonero
Editor: David Moritz
Steve Zissou: Bill Murray
Ned Plimpton: Owen Wilson
Jane Winslett-Richardson: Cate Blanchett
Eleanor Zissou: Anjelica Huston
Klaus Daimler: Willem Dafoe
Alistair Hennessey: Jeff Goldblum
Oseary Drakoulias: Michael Gambon
Bill Ubell: Bud Cort
Pele dos Santos: Seu Jorge
Esteban du Plantier: Seymour Cassel
MPAA rating R
Running time -- 119 minutes »
30 December 2004 | The Hollywood Reporter | See recent The Hollywood Reporter news »
After years of being relegated to small-screen renderings ("The Amazing Howard Hughes") or quirky supporting roles ("Melvin and Howard"), the inimitable billionaire industrialist finally has been provided with a canvas expansive enough to contain his numerous larger-than-life personae courtesy of Martin Scorsese and "The Aviator".
Working with many of his previous collaborators, Scorsese has crafted a rip-roaringly gorgeous-looking, beautifully acted biographical epic that is certain to garner Oscar nominations across the board.
But while firing on all cylinders, there's something oddly distancing about the picture that ultimately prevents the viewer from being taken along on its emotionally turbulent journey.
Still, if we have to be content to wave admiringly from the sidelines, there's an embarrassment of cinematic riches to appreciate, and Miramax should have little problem translating the inevitable awards season goodwill (Warner Bros. is handling the film internationally) into highflying numbers.
Long before Donald Trump, Richard Branson and reality TV, there was the man who wrote the book on driven, compelling billionaire businessmen, and Leonardo DiCaprio nails his subject with an assured bravado and focused energy. It's the actor's most accomplished turn to date and easily quells skeptics' worries that he wasn't the right man for the part.
Following a brief but character-defining childhood prologue, the script by John Logan ("Gladiator") dives right into the filming of "Hell's Angels" in the late 1920s, the costly aerial epic the naively ambitious heir financed with earnings from the family company, Hughes Tool.
The picture would make Hughes, barely in his mid-20s, a celebrity who would often be spotted courting glamour girls at the famed Cocoanut Grove nightclub. But despite counting Katharine Hepburn (a perfectly pitched Cate Blanchett) and Ava Gardner (a similarly adept Kate Beckinsale) among his steady supply of amorous interests, none would be able to compete with Hughes' one true love -- aviation.
Given that Scorsese is known for a lifelong fear of flying, the director (who took on the project after Michael Mann stepped down) throws irony to the wind, and, introducing some impressive digital effects work late in his career, delivers a series of spectacular sequences, from recreations of that "Hell's Angels" footage to Hughes' devastating plane crash into a Beverly Hills neighborhood.
Despite all those lofty events, which are propelled along with the help of newsreel audio, Scorsese and Logan manage to keep the storytelling grounded, moving some events around when necessary to incorporate Hughes' disturbing behavior as it progressed above and beyond mere eccentricity.
With the exception of some of those later scenes in which he physically fails to appear convincing as a man in his 40s, DiCaprio turns in a robust, fully realized performance.
Aside from Blanchett and Beckinsale, there also are colorful turns by Alec Baldwin as Hughes' rival, Pan Am visionary Juan Trippe; Alan Alda as Hughes' adversary, Sen. Owen Brewster; and the always reliable John C. Reilly as his loyal if beleaguered right-hand man, Noah Dietrich.
Technical attributes abound, from Robert Richardson's dazzling, Technicolor-approximated cinematography to Dante Ferretti's lavish production design to Sandy Powell's stellar costumes and Howard Shore's rich but never intrusive score, all impeccably strung together by Scorsese's longtime collaborator, editor Thelma Schoonmaker.
The Aviator
Warner Bros. Pictures and Miramax Films present
a Forward Pass Inc./Initial Entertainment Group production
A Martin Scorsese picture
Director: Martin Scorsese
Producers: Michael Mann, Sandy Climan, Graham King, Charles Evans Jr.
Executive producer: Chris Brigham
Screenwriter: John Logan
Director of photography: Robert Richardson
Production designer: Dante Ferretti
Costume designer: Sandy Powell
Editor: Thelma Schoonmaker
Music: Howard Shore
Howard Hughes: Leonardo DiCaprio
Katharine Hepburn: Cate Blanchett
Noah Dietrich: John C. Reilly
Juan Trippe: Alec Baldwin
Ava Gardner: Kate Beckinsale
Errol Flynn: Jude Law
Glenn Odekirk: Matt Ross
Johnny Meyer: Adam Scott
Jean Harlow: Gwen Stefani
Professor Fitz: Ian Holm
Jack Frye: Danny Huston
Sen. Owen Brewster: Alan Alda
Faith Domergue: Kelli Gardner
MPAA rating: PG-13
Running time -- 169 minutes »
13 December 2004 | IMDb News
On the heels of critics awards from both New York and Los Angeles, the indie comedy Sideways dominated this year's Golden Globe nominations with a field-best seven nominations. The Alexander Payne wine-country flick nabbed Best Picture, Director, Screenplay and Score nominations along with nods for actors Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, and Virginia Madsen, making it the movie to beat at this year's Globes, though it's competing mainly in comedy categories. The heavyweight over on the dramatic side was Martin Scorsese's The Aviator, which was awarded with six nominations, including Best Actor for Leonardo DiCaprio (as Howard Hughes) and Best Supporting Actress for Cate Blanchett (as Katharine Hepburn). Million Dollar Baby, Finding Neverland, and Closer were right behind with five nominations apiece.
The man of the hour, however, was neither Payne nor Scorsese but Jamie Foxx, who received an unprecedented three nominations, for Ray, Collateral, and the TV movie Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story. Receiving little or no love from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association were Spanglish (only a Best Score nomination) and The Passion of the Christ, which while ineligible for the Best Film . Drama award but allowed to compete in all other categories, was passed over entirely.
On the television side, the gals of Sex and the City, who were longtime Globe favorites, had to make room for some Desperate Housewives, as the ABC breakout hit scored five nominations (the best for any TV show), including four acting nods for its titular housewives (only Eva Longoria was left out in the cold). HBO scored big with TV movie The Life and Death of Peter Sellers and its perennial awards favorite The Sopranos, though Sex and the City only received two nods for its final season. The Golden Globes will be handed out on Sunday, January 16th, where Robin Williams is set to receive the Cecil B. DeMille Award.
See the entire list of this year's Golden Globe nominees »
14 October 2004 | The Hollywood Reporter | See recent The Hollywood Reporter news »
SYDNEY -- Baz Luhrmann, Cate Blanchett and Claudia Karvan are the new patrons of Flickerfest, Australia's only Academy Awards-accredited international short film festival, organizers said Wednesday. Each summer, Sydney's film glitterati descends on Bondi Beach for this festival, where about 600 international short films are screened outdoors. "With the support and encouragement of Australia's leading talent, Flickerfest continues to develop and grow, securing its place as one of the world's top-ranking short film festivals," organizers said. This year Flickerfest will run an extended program over 10 days, covering two weekends from Jan. 7-16. Festival director Bronwyn Kidd also announced the 2005 special sessions spotlighting Mexico, a horror-thriller program, a selection of music clip shorts from U.K. electronic label Warp Records and a program dedicated to showcasing the best shorts from Annecy, the French film festival dedicated to animation. »
18 August 2004 | WENN | See recent WENN news »
Australian actress Cate Blanchett has hit out at the cosmetic industry, just weeks after signing a deal to promote a skincare range. Blanchett was recently unveiled as the new face of SK-II Japanese creams. But the actress insists she is very skeptical about the true power of cosmetics and is concerned about the hold they have over women. She says, "I'm always a cynical, skeptical person, and I think that women and their vulnerabilities are played on in the cosmetic industry. I do think women are encouraged to be terrified of aging." But Blanchett insists she has signed the deal with SK-II because it didn't play by the same rules. She also took the opportunity to hit out at younger models who are finding themselves out of work at the expense of Hollywood stars who are now being signed to promote cosmetics, adding, "I certainly think that when I flick through all the magazines at the hairdresser's I like to see and am drawn to images that have an intelligence and mind at work behind them. Whilst I'm sure there is a mind at work behind a 12-year-old girl, it's something different from a woman in her 30s, where there is a life experience behind it." »
13 August 2004 | The Hollywood Reporter | See recent The Hollywood Reporter news »
Dustin Nguyen is joining the cast of the Cate Blanchett starrer Little Fish, for Australian production unit Porchlight Films. Penned by Jacqueline Perske and directed by Rowan Woods, Fish follows Blanchett as a former drug addict trying to rebuild her life. Nguyen will take on the role of Blanchett's ex-lover, a onetime druggie-turned-stockbroker. Martin Henderson, Hugo Weaving and Sam Neill also star in the film, set in the Little Saigon section of Sydney's suburbs. Vincent Sheehan and Liz Watts are producing. Nguyen was repped in the deal by Alan Iezman at Shelter Entertainment. Myriad Pictures is handling worldwide rights. »
28 July 2004 | WENN | See recent WENN news »
No Doubt singer-turned-actress Gwen Stefani has refused to be photographed with her The Aviator co-stars Cate Blanchett and Kate Beckinsale for the front cover of Marie Claire magazine. The shoot was to promote the release of director Martin Scorsese's new Howard Hughes biopic, in which Stefani plays Jean Harlow, Blanchett plays Katharine Hepburn, and Beckinsale is Ava Gardner. According to American website Pagesix.Com, Stefani felt her "street cred" as a musician would be damaged if she took part in the shoot. »
9 July 2004 | The Hollywood Reporter | See recent The Hollywood Reporter news »
Toronto International Film Festival
TORONTO -- Never a big fan of conventional feature narrative structure, Jim Jarmusch again prefers to do it his way with "Coffee and Cigarettes", a consistently amusing collection of 10 black-and-white shorts shot over the past two decades.
Featuring many of the actors and musicians who have appeared in his previous films, the anthology is assembled around a very basic foundation -- a couple of people meet in a diner/lounge/dive over a cuppa joe (or, in a couple of cases, tea), light up a smoke and let life unfold.
Given the filmmaker's penchant for the gently absurdist, the results actually aren't as potentially numbing as might be anticipated, especially when those inspired eccentric matchups include Iggy Pop and Tom Waits, Roberto Benigni and Steven Wright (circa 1986), White Stripes bandmates Jack White and Meg White accompanied by a spark-generating Nikola Tesla invention and Wu-Tang Clan hip-hoppers GZA and RZA dispensing holistic medicine tips to a coffee pot-chugging Bill Murray.
Those names and Jarmusch's well-deserved following should ensure domestic distribution for the as-yet-unattached film, which was screened as a Toronto International Film Festival Special Presentation.
Stylistically something of a throwback to the director's earlier black-and-white work, the monochromatics have been impressively furnished by several cinematographers, including Frederick Elmes ("Blue Velvet"), Robby Muller, Ellen Kuras and filmmaker Tom DiCillo.
Unsurprisingly, not every encounter turns out to be a gem. The ones that work most effectively are those that reveal some sticky truths about the trappings of celebrity, including partially improvised discussions between Waits and Pop, British actors Alfred Molina and Steve Coogan and, in the picture's terrific centerpiece, a hotel lobby meeting between Cate Blanchett (playing herself) and her bitter Aussie rocker cousin (also, remarkably, Blanchett).
In Jarmusch's capable hands, the mundane has never been so delightful.
Coffee and Cigarettes
United Artists
Smokescreen Inc. presents in association with Asmik Ace and Bim Distribuzione A film by Jim Jarmusch
Director-screenwriter: Jim Jarmusch
Producers: Joana Vicente, Jason Kliot
Directors of photography: Frederick Elmes, Ellen Kuras, Robby Muller, Tom DiCillo
Production designers: Mark Friedberg, Tom Jarmusch, Dan Bishop
Editors: Jay Rabinowitz, Melody London, Terry Katz, Jim Jarmusch
Roberto Benigni, Steven Wright, Joie Lee, Cinque Lee, Steve Buscemi, Iggy Pop, Tom Waits, Joe Rigano, Vinny Vella, Vinny Vella Jr., Renee French, E.J. Rodriguez, Alex Descas, Isaach de Bankole, Cate Blanchett, Meg White, Jack White, Alfred Molina, Steve Coogan, GZA, RZA, Bill Murray, Bill Rice, Taylor Mead
Running time -- 96 minutes
No MPAA rating »
8 July 2004 | The Hollywood Reporter | See recent The Hollywood Reporter news »
Any film genre -- even the Southern gothic melodrama with its wayward belles, mental misfits and backwoods misbehavior -- can stand only so much hokum. But the makers of "The Gift" lay on the rustic nonsense awfully thick, peopling the tiny town of Brixton, Ga., with more "colorful" characters than any town -- or movie -- can tolerate.
A fine cast headed by Australian star Cate Blanchett struggles futilely to give life to these characters. Meant as a psychological thriller but more likely to be received by audiences as a burlesque of Southern stereotypes, "Gift"'s only chance theatrically is to be mistaken for high camp. The film opens this month for Academy consideration in Los Angeles before its Jan. 19 national rollout.
The script is by Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson, who know their way around this neck of the woods. Together, they wrote that fine Southern crime drama "Once False Move", and Thornton, of course, won an Oscar for his astonishing screenplay "Sling Blade".
But "Gift", whose central character possesses supernatural clairvoyance, emerges as a kind of "Sling Blade" meets "What Lies Beneath", and this proves to be a meeting that should never take place. Along with terrifying visions of a murdered girl's body, the movie traffics in nastiness ranging from adultery, child molestation and abuse of women to homicide, suicide and patricide by immolation.
Director Sam Raimi hues close to horror-film conventions, the kinds where a threatened woman enters a dark house alone or accompanies a potential killer into the woods without thinking these might be unwise moves.
Blanchett tiptoes through a minefield of unmotivated actions and implausible predicaments to deliver a credible performance as a widow with the "gift" of psychic vision. Among her clients are an emotionally unstable auto mechanic (Giovanni Ribisi) and the abused wife (Hilary Swank) of a redneck hothead (Keanu Reeves).
When a pretty, promiscuous young woman (Katie Holmes) goes missing, her fiance (Greg Kinnear) and father (Chelcie Ross) come by to see what Blanchett's visions tell her about the disappearance.
Reeves' character also drops by frequently to deliver threats against Blanchett and her three children in retaliation for her suggesting to his battered wife that she leave him. So when her psychic visions lead police to the body of the missing woman on Reeves' property, everything points to him as the murderer. Only Blanchett has second thoughts about her second sight.
There is little logic or plausible human behavior in most of the plot's erratic twists and turns. Courtroom scenes make little sense, and a climax between Blanchett and a potential killer might satisfy horror-thriller conventions but is not like to satisfy audiences.
Technical credits are pro, though Jamie Anderson's camera setups and Neil Spisak's production design tend to aid and abet Raimi's penchant for the predictable.
Paramount Classics
Lakeshore Entertainment/Alphaville
Producers: James Jacks, Tom Rosenberg
Director: Sam Raimi
Screenwriters: Billy Bob Thornton, Tom Epperson
Executive producers: Gary Lucchesi, Gregory Goodman, Sean Daniel, Ted Tannebaum
Director of photography: Jamie Anderson
Production designer: Neil Spisak
Music: Christopher Young
Costume designer: Julie Weiss
Editors: Bob Murawski, Arthur Coburn
Annie Wilson: Cate Blanchett
Valerie Barksdale: Hilary Swank
Donnie Barksdale: Keanu Reeves
Buddy Cole: Giovanni Ribisi
Wayne Collins: Greg Kinnear
Jessica King: Katie Holmes
Gerald Weems: Michael Jeter
Linda: Kim Dickens
Running time -- 105 minutes
MPAA rating: R »
4 June 2004 | The Hollywood Reporter | See recent The Hollywood Reporter news »
Lucy Liu has signed with WMA for representation in all areas. Since making her name on TV's "Ally McBeal", Liu has built up a big-screen repertoire with credits including the "Kill Bill" and "Charlie's Angels" films, "Chicago", "Payback" and "Shanghai Noon". Liu also has signed to star in and produce the upcoming "Charlie Chan" film franchise for 20th Century Fox. Liu joins WMA's roster of actresses including Halle Berry, Kate Winslet, Cate Blanchett, Kirsten Dunst, Salma Hayek, Scarlett Johansson, Ashley Judd, Queen Latifah, Reese Witherspoon and Carrie-Anne Moss, Meg Ryan and Sharon Stone. Liu, who most recently was represented by CAA, also has been represented by ICM. She is managed by Mary Ellen Mulcahy at Framework. »
4 June 2004 | WENN | See recent WENN news »
Indian director Shekhar Kapur is ecstatic about his plans for a sequel to Elizabeth with Hollywood beauty Cate Blanchett reprising her Oscar- nominated role as the virgin Queen of Britain. The film's makers are using the working title Golden Age for the movie which focuses on the middle years of the controversial royal's reign - she sat on the throne from 1558 - 1603. The 58-year-old legend says, "It is about the battle between Elizabeth's life as a monarch and her personal life. It ends in the destruction of the Spanish Armada on the larger level when the English navy defeated the Spanish invasion fleet in the English Channel in 1588." A start date has yet to be set because of the commitments of director and star - according to British film magazine Empire. »
24 March 2004 | The Hollywood Reporter | See recent The Hollywood Reporter news »
SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco International Film Festival, running April 15-29, marks its 47th year with 175 films from 52 countries. The program, unveiled Tuesday, displays the festival's customary emphasis on world cinema and an impressive roster of documentaries. There is a strong slate of Pacific Asian films as well as commercial and art house films, expanded Latin American and Middle Eastern sections plus Extreme Cinema, a midnight series geared toward a younger crowd. "The whole focus of the festival and what we're seeing from the filmmakers is an expression of underground culture," executive director Roxanne Messina Captor said. Emblematic of that counterculture aspect is the festival opener, Jim Jarmusch's Coffee and Cigarettes, featuring Bill Murray, Steve Buscemi, Tom Waits, Iggy Pop and Cate Blanchett. »
6 February 2004 | The Hollywood Reporter | See recent The Hollywood Reporter news »
Opens Wed., Dec. 17
NEW YORK -- An epic success and a history-making production that finishes with a masterfully entertaining final installment, New Line Cinema's adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" is a soaring legend in its own day and destined to be cherished for many ages to come. "The Return of the King" is the longest and most complicated of the three "Rings" films and probably fated to be the biggest moneymaker. Sure to be an Oscar contender in many categories and a breathtaking argument for director Peter Jackson winning every award there is to give, "King" has none of the usual deficiencies that frequently scuttle third films.
Opening unexpectedly with a flashback to the day when the twisted Gollum was a healthy Hobbit-like fisherman named Smeagol (Andy Serkis), who commits murder to possess the powerful One Ring, "King" deftly resumes the story after the events of "The Two Towers". After a brief encounter with the talking lord of the forest Treebeard (voiced by John Rhys-Davies), Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Theoden (Bernard Hill) and other survivors of the Battle of Helm's Deep go to ravished Isengard. Within minutes, we're reintroduced to the many characters, including Hobbits Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd), Rohan fighters Eomer (Karl Urban) and Eowyn (Miranda Otto), Faramir (David Wenham) of Gondor and the one new human character, Denethor (John Noble), the Steward of Minas Tirith, site of the next great showdown between the mighty forces of evil Sauron and the free peoples of Middle Earth.
Frodo and Sam (Elijah Wood and Sean Astin), guided by the vengeful Gollum (again a wondrous combination of special effects and Serkis' inspired performance), finally enter Mordor, but the divisive influence of the Ring almost ends the fellowship of the two heroic Hobbits. When the three infiltrators pass by Minas Morgul (the dead city where the Nazgul reside), they watch another army of Sauron march to battle under the command of the Witch-king.
Eventually, this Black Captain of the Nazgul, who rides one of the dragonlike beasts first seen in "Towers", has a fight with Eowyn and Merry in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, outside the walls of Minas Tirith, that readers have been waiting decades to see. It's a gloriously crowd-pleasing moment, while overall the lengthy siege is tremendously exciting and visually unparalleled.
Huge elephantlike Mumakil and trolls pushing the giant battering ram known as Grond join hordes of Orcs in a gargantuan assault on Minas Tirith, a fight which faithless Denethor turns away from when he gives into fear and fatherly pride by sending Faramir to certain death. It's the leadership-tested Gandalf (Ian McKellen) who commands the defense of the city. Although Denethor comes off too as enigmatic compared to the original material, he sure has a spectacular final scene.
Jackson and co-writers Philippa Boyens and Fran Walsh make noteworthy departures from Tolkien, including such crucial moments as what happens when Frodo is finally standing on a ledge over the Crack of Doom inside the volcano where the ring must be destroyed, and how Aragorn makes use of the Army of the Dead that only he can command. Whole swaths of the book have been condensed and eliminated, but Jackson and company usually realize splendidly whatever they take on.
There are only brief moments with the saga's Elvish beauties: Arwen (Liv Tyler) refuses to abandon Aragorn. Galadriel (Cate Blanchett) makes a crucial connection with Frodo near the story's climax. Dwarf fighter Gimli (Rhys-Davies) provides much-appreciated humor with his sarcastic remarks. Fearless Elf bowman Legolas (Orlando Bloom) delivers the best battlefield action, while wise Elrond (Hugo Weaving) provides Aragorn with the restored sword that defeated Sauron long ago.
The thunderous conclusion to the story of the Ring that includes the end of Frodo's journey and the battle outside the Black Gate winds down to a sublime denouement, leaving only 20 minutes to wrap up when Tolkien took a hundred pages. The extended DVD should bind "King" and the other two films into one awesome movie deserving of regular revivals in theaters. But who can resist right now a classic fantasy adventure that never drags and is simply ravishing to look at thanks to the thousands of craftsmen, performers, animals and postproduction refiners?
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
New Line Cinema
Wingnut Films
Director: Peter Jackson
Screenwriters: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson
Based on the book by: J.R.R. Tolkien
Producers: Barrie M. Osborne, Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson
Executive producers: Robert Shaye, Michael Lynne, Mark Ordesky, Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein
Director of photography: Andrew Lesnie
Production designer: Grant Major
Editors: Jamie Selkirk, Annie Collins
Costume designers: Ngila Dickson, Richard Taylor
Music: Howard Shore
Visual effects supervisor: Jim Rygiel
Frodo: Elijah Wood
Gandalf: Ian McKellen
Gollum/Smeagol: Andy Serkis
Aragon: Viggo Mortensen
Sam: Sean Astin
Gimli/Voice of Treebeard: John Rhys-Davies
Merry: Dominic Monaghan
Pippin: Billy Boyd
Arwen: Liv Tyler
Legolas: Orlando Bloom
Elrond: Hugo Weaving
King Theoden: Bernard Hill
Faramir: David Wenham
Eowyn: Miranda Otto
Eomer: Karl Urban
Denethor: John Noble
Galadriel: Cate Blanchett
Running time -- 200 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13
13 items from 2004
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Bretford MobilePro Adjustable Wall Mount
Bretford MobilePro Adjustable Wall Mount
Bretford's wall-mounted articulating display arm delivers the ultimate in flexibility, design and comfort. Now you can save space and position your monitor in any position that provides the best viewing angle.
Die-cast aluminium construction complements your Apple hardware
Monitor floats weightlessly; position can be adjusted with one hand
Folds flat to save space when not in use
Easily rotate the monitor 360 degrees for landscape or portrait viewing and +/- 45-degree forward tilt
Keep your screen close to the wall or extend it out to get a better view
Cable management clips keep power and data cables neat and secure
Mounts to a single wood stud (hardware not included)
VESA compliant: supports VESA 75mm and 100mm mounting patterns
Apple Recommends For
Education labs and offices, retail, hospitality and reception areas, healthcare workstations or any space where mounting your iMac or Apple Display will save you space.
What's in the Box?
Bretford MobilePro Wall Mount
Cable clips
Allen wrench
Tech Specs
Length: Maximum extension: 381 mm/15.0 in.
Depth: Folded: 76 mm/3.0 in.
Weight: 4.5kg
System Requirements
Requirements Other: Apple VESA Mount Adapter Kit
Manufacturer Information
Part Number
Mfr. Part Number: BDM28
UPC or EAN No.: 096633268344
Note: Apple's One-Year Limited Warranty does not apply to products that are not Apple-branded, even if packaged or sold with Apple products. Non-Apple-branded products may have the benefit of a manufacturer's warranty provided by the product manufacturer — please see your product box and literature for details. Benefits under the manufacturer's warranty are in addition to rights provided by consumer law.
Manufacturer Note
Proper installation requires a solid surface between 0.5 and 1.25 inches thick
Solid surface must be secured to a table or similarly sturdy base
iMac, Cinema Display, LED Cinema Display or Thunderbolt Display require the Apple VESA Mount Adapter Kit to be mounted
Answers from the community
When it folds in how far is it from the wall?
- Asked by Chad B from Long Beach
- on 19-Mar-2016
Answer now(When it folds in how far is it from the wall?)No answers yet
When it folks and unfolds how stationary is it? Does it move on it's own from the weight of the computer or does it stay folded in or out?
- Asked by Chad B from Long Beach
- on 19-Mar-2016
Do you need a VESA adapter for this?
- Asked by Rohit K from Cupertino
- on 22-Mar-2014
Yes you do
- Written by Thomas L from sydney
- on 14-Apr-2015
Has anyone successfully used this hardware with an Apple Thunderbolt Display mounted directly on a gyp board/metal stud wall?
- Asked by Lester Y from Honolulu
- on 02-Jul-2015
It's common sense to never attach something as heavy as an iMac to gyp board. Put a cross piece hori It's common sense to never attach something as heavy as an iMac to gyp board. Put a cross piece horizontally anchoring in your studs and then attach to the cross piece. Plugs are good for hanging pictures or a lite mirror, but never hang something this heavy from some plastic plugs unless you have insurance.
- Written by Steven T from Toronto
- on 26-Sep-2015
Can the bretford accessory clamp be used with the Bretford mobilepro wall mount?
- Asked by Danny G from Cleardale
- on 30-Nov-2014
how difficult is it to take off, for avoiding theft purposes?
- Asked by Lauren J from Lakewood
- on 25-Nov-2014


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Computer problem
2002 Mercury Villager 6 cyl Front Wheel Drive Automatic
The " Service engine soon Warning Light has been showing constantly despite routine service checks, engine oil chage, filters etc. Why is that so and how do I fix whats wrong so the light dosnt show?
Wednesday, February 11th, 2009 AT 8:11 AM